Help! Need Ideas for Luck of the Irish Basket

I always make homemade baileys for St. Patrick Day hostess gifts. Put it in a pretty bottle or jar with a shiny green, satin ribbon and your parents will love it!

Irish Potato Candy
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. Using your hands if necessary, mix in the coconut. Roll into balls or potato shapes, and roll in the cinnamon. Place onto a cookie sheet and chill to set. If desired, roll potatoes in cinnamon again for darker color.

Boxty (Irish Potato Griddle Cakes)
Ingredients:

1/2 pound raw potato
1/2 pound cooked mashed potato
1/2 pound plain flour
Milk (as needed, see directions)
1 egg
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Directions:

Grate raw potatoes and mix with the cooked mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper, onion and flour. Beat egg and add to mixture with just enough milk to make a batter that will drop from a spoon.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frying pan. Cook over a moderate heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.

There is a book called "So You Think You're Irish" by Margaret Kelleher. It includes all these quizes to see how Irish you are. It would be kind of funny for your dad.

What about getting a frame or two to hold their pictures from Ireland? IrishIndeed.com has some really nice ones. The same website also has a really neat bottle opener.

Maybe you could include a travel book for Ireland that would come in handy when they go in Sepetember.

Food ideas: apple jelly and soda bread. I don't have any recipes on me, but you should be able to easily find some online.

How about some celtic music CDs?

The Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret Johnson and Leigh Beisch is a fun cookbook.

How about a Rick Steve's Ireland travel book or Frommers? They can use it on their trip. Or a coffee table book on Ireland.

For food, when I think of Ireland for some reason I think of how about a recipe for Irish stew with some of the ingredients? Then add some Cadbury chocolate.

A bottle of green beer would thrill me.

Shamrock shaped sugar cookies would be really cute.

Style Before Comfort!

What about including Irish Soda Bread, Bailey's Irish Cream, maybe even a little picture frame so they can put a picture of themselves in Ireland.

Bfly1133 - we had some of the same ideas!lol. Sorry if it seemed like I ripped off your ideas.

Don't worry about it lee!

You could include Irish Breakfast tea, marmalade, scones, shortbread cookies, some HP sauce. Mustards from Ireland are good, too.

Corned Beef And Barley Soup

Ingredients: (serves 1)

* 3 Pounds Corned Beef Brisket -- Cubed
* 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 2 Quarts Beef Stock
* Salt And Pepper -- To Taste
* 1 Teaspoon Oregano
* 1 Teaspoon Basil
* 1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
* 1 Bunch Parsley -- Chopped
* 2 Medium Onion -- Chopped
* 2 Stalks Celery -- Chopped
* 8 Ounces Pearl Barley
* 1 Can Tomatoes -- Chopped

Directions: Saute beef in oil for 5 minutes, until well browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Serve.

Such fabulous ideas! I'll have to pick and choose to decide what I want to do. THANKS!

You are very welcome! I can't wait to see the finished project.

I know I'm a little late adding this but a statue of a pig would be a cute addition. A pig in the kitchen is considered very lucky in an Irish home...just thought I'd mention it in case you were still looking for ideas. A little porcelain pig or a piggy bank would be good!!! I have a ceramic sleeping pig in my kitchen!!